Simplex normal danger automanual train-control apparatus



I Q u 2i t w t o 3 08 a Q H 3mm" ,1 A 83 l I N re 1 AprillS, 1930. A. LQRUTHVEN 1,754,905

SIMPLEX NORMAL- DANGER AUTO MANUAL TRAIN CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 28, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 Brake Valve Mo.inReserv0i A. RUTHVEN 1,754,906

SIMPLEX NORMAL DANGER AUTO MANUAL TRAIN CONTROL APPARATUS April 15, 1930.

Filed 00%. 28, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED L. RUTHVEN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YOBK Application filed October 28, 1926. Serial No. 144,772.

The present invention relates to'train control apparatus, and aims to reduce to a minimum the co-operable control elements on the trackside and train or vehicle for purpose of simplicity, economy and practicability.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such an apparatus which will under normal conditons provide a danger indication or condition in the train or vehicle equipment when approaching a wayside semaphore or signal ,set either for clear, caution or danger, and requiring the enginelnan to be alert in order to enable the train to proceed past the semaphore or signal.

A further object is the provision of such an apparatus embodying an alert device which must be operated by the engineman when approaching semaphores or signals, to.

prevent the train being stopped, and to assure of the engineman being alert when approaching semaphores, in combination with means for recording the operations of the alert device in order that a record may be preserved and the operations of the alert device checked.

A still further object is the provision of means for signalling or indicating the position of the alert device, which is preferably on the exterior of the vehicle or car so as to be observed by inspectors and others at a dis tance.

Still another object is the provision of novel means for controlling the air brakes in order to apply the brakes when the cooperating vehicle and trackside elements are effective without the alert device having been operated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made Within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a diagrammaticalview of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the the invention one rail is provided with a section 8 of manganese steel or other non-magnetic material at the approach to each semaphore or signal 9, to serve as a permanent induction interrupter forming a part of the track itself in order to interrupt or break the inductive or magnetic relation between the vehicle-carried element 10 and the track, as

the vehicle approaches the semaphore.

As shown, the responsive element or inductor 10 comprises an electromagnet 11 pivotally mounted, as at 12, immediately over the rail of the track which has the non-magnetic sections therein, and the core 13 of said electromagnet is normally attracted to said rail,- inasmuch as the electromagent is normally energized from a generator 14 or other source of electrical current. The wires or conductors 15 and 16 connect the generator 14 and electromagnet 11, and it will be noted that should the circuit to the electromagnet, 11 be broken or shorted the electromagnet will be deenergized to produce a danger indication.

The element 10 controls a solenoid or electromagnet 17 which in turn controls the air brakes. The circuit of the solenoid 17 includes the generator 14, conductor 16, core 13 to which the conductor 16 is connected and which provides a control switch, contact 18 normally engaged by the core 13, conductor 19, solenoid 17, conductor 20, contacts 21 and switch 22 of a stick relay, electromagnet 23 of said relay, and conductor 15.

\Vhen the core 13 is attracted to the rail of the track, the circuit of the solenoid 17 is closed, to keep said solenoid energized, and when the control element lOpasses over a non-magnetic section 8 thecore 13 is released from the rail by the interruption in magnetic or inductive relation between the element 10 and rail. and the element 10 swings by gravity or other force to move the core or switch member 13 away from the contact 18, thereby opening the circuit of the solenoid 17. This also deenergizes the magnet 23 so as to release the switch 22, and the stick relay being deenergized will prevent the circuit of the solenoid 17 being restored even though the element 10 returns to normal osition, unless the magnet 23 is energize by an alert or restoring circuit as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The solenoid 17 controls an air brake device compring a body 24 secured over the valve casing 25 and having opposite cylinders 26 and 27 secured thereto. Pistons 28 and 29 are movable in the respective cylinders 26 and 27 and are connected by a piston rod 30 sliding through the body 24. The cylinder 26 and piston 28 are of larger diameter than the cylinder 27 and piston 29 in order that .air pressure against the piston 28 will preponderate over the air pressure against the piston 29. The valve casing 25 has cavities 3? and 31 and the oppositely facing valve seats 32 and 33, and a pressure fluid or compressed air supply pipe 34 leading from the main reservoir is connected to the cavity 31. The valve .casing 25 and body 24 have passages 35 and 36 communicating with the adjacent ends of the cylinders 26 and 27, respectively, the passage 36 leading from the cavity 31 and passage 35 leading from between the valve scats 32 and 33. The valve casing 25 has a discharge port 37 leading from the cavity 31 to the atmosphere. The core 38 of the solenoid 17 has the valves 40 and 40 to seat alternately against the valve seats 32 and 33, respectively, the valve 40 being seated when the solenoid 17 is energized to raise the core 38, and the valve 40 being seated when the core 38 gravitates due to the deenergization of the solenoid. The cylinder 26 has a vent port 42 at its outer end, and the cylinder 27 has a vent port 43 at its outer end controlled by a suitable adjusting valve 44. The cylinder 27 has a lateral port 45 between its ends from which a pipe 46 leads to a brake valve actuator 47 which is operated by the pressure fluid or air which discharges through the port 45 for operating the engineers brake valve to apply the brakes.

Under normal running conditions, with the solenoid 17 energized, the core 38 is raised and the valve 40 seated. Pressure fluid may therefore flow from the pipe 34 into the cavity 31 and through the passages 35 and 36 into the cylinders 26 and 27. The piston 28 being of larger diameter than the piston 29 will force the piston 28 to the outer end of the cylinder 26, carrying the piston 29 with it, as seen in Fig. 1. When the solenoid 17 is deenergized, the'core 38 drops, thereby seating the valve 40 and unseating the valve 40' The cylinder 26 is now connected with the atmosphere by way of the passage 35,

cavity 31' and port 37, and the cylinder 27 remains connected with the pipe 34 at all times through the passage 36 and cavity 31, so that the pressure against the piston 29 will force the pistons toward the outer end of the cylinder 27. When the piston 29 is moved beyond the port 45, the fluid will flow from the cylinder 27 through the pipe 46 to the brake valve actuator 47 in order to actuate the brake valve and apply the brakes. The time interval between the deenergization of the solenoid 17 and the movement of the. piston 29 past the port 45 is controlled by adjusting the valve 44 to control the discharge of air confined between the piston 29 and outer end of the cylinder 27. Thus, a suitable time interval is provided after the solenoid 17 is deenergized and before the brakes are applied. When the solenoid 17 is again energized, the valve 40' is seated, thereby again connecting the cylinder 27 with the pipe 34 so that the pistons 28 and 29 are again moved toward the outer end of the cylinder 26, thus permitting the air brake device to be restored.

The magnet 23 of the stick relay is controlled by the alert device. Thus, the magnet 23 is connected by conductors 48 with contacts 49 carried by and insulated from the casing 50 of the alert device and bearing against insulated contact strips or segments 51 carried by a disk 52 rotatable in the casing 50. A bridging or switch member 53 is adapted to bridge the strips 51 for closing the alert or restoring circuit of the magnet 23, one of the conductors 48 having the battery 48' or other source of current therein. The alert device includes a hand lever 54' secured to a shaft 55 extending through the disk 52 and casing 50 and secured to said disk to turn therewith. The bridging member 53 is carried by a slide rod 56 carried by the lever 54 for sliding movement and connected to a handle member 57 which is pivoted to the lever 54, so that when the handle of the lever is grasped the rod 56 is moved upwardly so as to bring the member 53 against the contact strips 51 for closing the circuit of the magnet 23. The rod 56 is normally moved downwardly b a spring 58, and said rod 56 is also connecte with a pawl or dog 59 pivotally connected to the lever 54. The casing 50 has notches 60, 61 and 62 for the engagement of the dog 59 when the lever 54 is in clear, caution and danger positions, respectively, for holding the lever in the position to which it has been moved. The dog 59 is disengaged from the corresponding notch when the handle member 57 is swung in grasping the lever 54, in order that the lever may be conveniently moved from one position to another.

A signal device is provided to indicate the position of the hand lever 54 of the alert device, and includes a sleeve 63 slidable upwardly and downwardly on a lamp 67 of any suitable kind which is mounted on a standard 68. The sleeve 63 which surrounds the lamp has the vertically spaced lenses 64, 65 and 66 of suitable colors for clear, caution and danger conditions, and the lenses are preferably provided on all four sides of the sleeve 63 so as to be observed at both sides of the track and in front and in rear of the train. This signal device may be located at any conspicuous point on the exterior of the vehicle or car, such as above the roof of the cab of a locomotive, in order that the device may be observed by inspectors and others so that a check on the engineman may be had, to observe the control of the alert device as he passes control locations of the track. The sleeve 63 is connected by a link 69 with an arm 70 secured on the shaft 55, whereby the sleeve 63 is moved upwardly and downwardly by the movement of the hand lever 54, and the position of said sleeve will correspond with the position of the lever 54, so that the proper leznses of the sleeve 63 register with the lamp 6 The alert device embodies a recorder in order to make a permanent record of the operations of such device. Thus, spools or drums 71 and 72 are carried by the disk 52 and a strip 73 of paper or other suitable material is wound on said spools to pass from the spool 71 to the spool 72. The spool 72 has a ratchet wheel 74 connected thereto engaged by a pawl 75 carried by the rod 56, so that when the handle of the lever 54 is grasped to raise the rod 56 the pawl 75 engaging the ratchet wheel 74 will turn the spool 72 one step to advance the strip 73. The strip 73 is thus advanced step by step as the alert device is operated successively in passing the control locations. A punch 76 for punching holes in the strip 73 is carried by a rod 77 slidable through the rod 56, the lever 54 and disk 52 having slots or openings 78 to accommodate said rod 77. The rod 77 is moved transversely of the strip 73 to position the punch 7 6 in different positions transversely of said strip, the strip having three divisions or hands longitudinally thereof for clear, caution and danger conditions. A spring 7 9 carried by the rod 56 bears against the rod 77 to.move same against a cam 80 carried by the back of the casing 50. The punch 76 is shown in clear position in Figs. 2 and 3, and when the lever 54 is swung to caution and danger positions in succession the rod 77 riding on the cam 80 will force the rod away from the disk 52 into the caution and danger columns or divisions, respectively, of the strip 7 3. The shaft extends un der the strip 73 and has holes 81 therethrough to receive the punch 76.

in operation, when the train approaches engineman to Operate the alert device. and

if he fails to do so then the magnet 23 and solenoid 17 will remain 'deenergized, so that the air brake device will operate to apply the brakes after a predetermined interval of time, thereby stopping the train. This assures of the train being stopped whenever approaching any semaphore and passing over a track element or rail section 8, if the engineman is asleep or otherwise incapacitated or fails to observe and reco nize the signal, and the engineman must therefore be alert whenever approaching a semaphore or signal for which a track element or rail section 8 is installed on the track. If the engineman alert and operates the alert device this will assure that he is also sufliciently alert to recognize the semaphore or signal and control'the train accordingly. The vehicle equipment is thus manually controlled by the engineman to re store or maintain normal running conditions.

To operate the alert device the lever 54 is grasped, thereby swinging the member 57 and v 29 reaching the port 45. When the ro 56 is i moved in grasping the lever 54, the dog 59 is disengaged from the casing '50 and the lever 54 may then be readily moved to the proper position according to the position of the semaphore or signal arm, or the like, it being the duty of the engineman to position the lever 54 accordin to the signal he is a proaching. The signal device including the sleeve 63 and lamp 67 will indicate. the position of the lever 54 so that the control of the alert device may be observed by inspectors and others to serve as a check on the engineman when approaching semaphores. The movement of the rod 56 will also withdraw the punch 76 from the strip 73, and said punch is adjusted transversely of the strip 73 according to the position of the lever 54, so that when the member 57 is released the punch 76 passes through the strip 7 3 in the proper column or division thereof to punch a hole in said strip. The strip 73 thus contains a record of the operations of the alert device for clear, caution and danger conditions in passin the successive semaphores or signals. permanent record is thus provided on the strip 73 of the operations of the alert device which should correspond to the successive signals which the train passed.

lit the alert device has not vbeen operated when the element 10 passes a rail section S, the switch 22 will drop against a contact 82 to complete an alarm circuit 83 having the bell or audible signal 84, the electric lamp or visual signal 85 and the battery or source of current 86 therein, thereby giving both audible and visual signals or alarms and calling the attention of the engineman to the fact that the brakes will be applied if he fails to operate the alert device, and making the engineman alert under penalty of an automatic stopping of the train.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modification in the control of the circuit of the solenoid 17, and also shows the lever 54 in danger position. The trackside elements comprise armatures 8 or bodies of magnetic material on the track, adjacent to the opposite traflic rails 7, in suitable relation to the semaphores or signals 9, and for single track railroads an armature 8 is employed for traffic in each direction. The control elements or inductors 10', one for each armature 8, comprise coils or windings 11 on cores 13 that move over the armatures 8. A reversing switch 90 is employed for alternately connecting the inductors 10' in circuit with the solenoid 17 and magnet 23 when the reversing lever 93 of the engine or locomotive is operated for reversing the direction of travel. A common conductor 91 is connected to both coils 11 and individual conductors 92 are connected to the opposite terminals of said coils, and the reversing switch 90 is disposed between the conductors 16 and 19 and conductors 91 and 92. The circuit of the solenoid 17 includes the alternating current genorator 14 or other source of alternating or pulsatin current, conductor 16, corresponding con uctor 92, right hand coil 11 as seen in Fig. 4, conductor 91, conductor 19, solenoid 17, conductor 20, contacts 21 and switch 22, magnet 23 and conductor 15. Such circuit includes the condenser orcapacity reactance 94 to balance the inductive reactance of the coil 11', so as to tune-the circuit when the control element 10 is away from the armature 8', and to detune or upset the resonance of the circuit when the control element 10 passes over an armature 8, resulting in the deenergizatiou of the solenoid 17 and magnet 23 similar to the opening of the circuit at the contact 18 as seen in Fig. 1. Otherwise, the-operation is the same as hereinbefore described, and in this modification the trackside control elements are separate from the rails and the inductors 10 are affected in passing over said armatures to obtain the deenergization of the solenoid 17 and magnet 23 when approaching the semaphores.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is '1. A vehicle control a paratus comprising vehicle retarding means including cooperable control elements on the vehicle and trackside, an alert device operable for different traffic conditions and controlling said means to prevent operation thereof, and a signal device operablewith said alert device for indicating the operation of said alert device, said device being on the exterior of the ve hicle and visible along the right of way.

2. A vehicle control apparatus comprising vehicle retarding means including cooperable control elements on the vehicle and trackside, an alert device operable for different traffic conditions and controlling said means to prevent operation thereof, and a signal device including a source of light and a sleeve movable over said source and connected to said alert device to be moved thereby, said sleeve having differently colored lenses to register with the source of light for indicating the operation of the alert device.

3. A vehicle control apparatus comprising vehicle retarding means including cooperable control elements on the vehicle and trackside, an alert device operable for different trafiic conditions and controlling said means to prevent operation thereof, and a recorder cooperable with said device for recording the number and different characters of operations thereof.

4. A vehicle control apparatus comprising vehicle retarding means including cooperable control elements on the vehicle and trackside, an alert device operable for different traffic conditions and controlling said means to prevent operation thereof, and a recorder including a strip, means for movin said strip, and means controlled by sai alert device for making a record on said strip of the operation of said device.

5. A vehicle control apparatus comprising vehicle retarding means including cooperable control elements on the vehicle and trackside; an alert device including a member movable to different positions, means for holding said member in its different positions. manually operable means controlling the holding means and operable to release said member for movement, and means controlled by the manually operable means and controlling the vehicle retarding means to prevent operation thereof; and recording means operated by said manually operable means to indicate the positions to which said member is moved in succession.

6. A vehicle control apparatus comprising Q vehicle retarding means including cooperable control elements on the vehicle and trackside; an alert device including a member movable to different positions, means for holding said member in its different positions, man- 'ually operable means controlling the holding ferent transverse positions thereof according to the position of said member.

7. A vehicle control apparatus comprising vehicle retarding means including cooperable control elements on the vehicle and trackside, an alert device including a manually operable member movable to different positions for different traflic conditions and means to prevent operation of said vehicle retarding means when the alert device is op erated, and recording means operated by said alert device and controlled therebyv to make different records in the different positions of said member.

8. A vehicle control a paratus including vehicle carried and trac side elements arranged to cooperate inductively whenever the vehicle approaches a control location, vehicle-carried means operable with a time in terval to retard the vehicle when said elements cooperate, a manually operable alert device controllin said means to prevent the operation thereoi and vehicle carried audible and visual means adapted to warnthe engineman that said means will be effective within a limited time unless avoided by the operation of said alert device.

9.-A vehicle control apparatus including vehicle carried and trackside elements arranged to cooperate inductively whenever the vehicle approaches a control location, vehicle carried means operable with a time interval to retard the vehicle when said elements cooperate, a manually operable alert device controlling said means to prevent the operation thereof, and audible and visual means adapted to warn the. engineman that a danger impulse has been received and said means about to become effective unless delayed or avoided by operation of said alert device.

10. A vehicle control apparatus including vehicle-carried and trackside elements arranged to cooperate whenever the vehicle approaches a control location, vehiclecarried means operable to retard the vehicle when said elements cooperate, a manually operable alert device controlling said means to prevent the operation thereof, and vehicle carried means for displaying inspection and check signals throughout the blocks corresponding with the wayside signals for which the alert device is operated.

11.'In a vehicle control apparatus the combination of a normal danger vehic e retarding means effective when approaching a control location, means for delaying the effect of said means a limited time, a manually operable alert device controlling said firstnamed and secondnamed means to prevent the operation thereof, and vehicle-carried means adapted for displaying inspection and check signals throughout the blocks corres onding with the wayside signals for which said alert device is operated.

to correspond with the wayside signals and providing a check on the operation of said device.

13. A vehicle control apparatus including in combination with a vehicle track, vehiclecarried means cooperable inductively with the track, said track having elements therein to interrupt said inductive cooperation at predetermined locations regardless of traflic conditions, vehicle controlling means operable by such interruption of inductive cooperation, and a manually operable alert device controlling the secondnamed means to prevent the operation thereof, said track elements being uncontrolled and always efiective on the vehicle-carried means, to operate the secondnamed means, unless the alert device is operated when passing the track elements. 7

14. A vehicle control apparatus including in combination with a vehicle track, vehiclecarried means cooperable inductively with the track, said track having control elements for interrupting such inductive cooperation when the vehicle approaches signal locations regardless of traffic conditions, said elements being located at the approaches to signal locations, vehicle controlling means controlled by the firstnamed means and operable for retarding the vehicle when there is an interruption in said inductive cooperation, a manuall operable alert device controlling the secon named means to prevent the vehicle from being retarded, said trackside elements being uncontrolled and always effective on the vehicle-carried means, to retard the vehicle unless the alert device is operated v when assing the track elements.

'15. vehicle control apparatus including in combination with a vehicle track, a normally energized vehicle-carried electromagnetic device adapted to retard the vehic e when said device-is deenergized, means controlling said device and cooperable inductively with the track, said track having means to interrupt suchinductive cooperation at predetermined control locations regardless of traffic conditions, and a manually operable alert device controllin said electromagnetic device to prevent eenergization thereof, said track means being uncontrolled and always efiective on the firstnamed means, to retard the vehicle unless the alert device is operated when passing the track means.

16. A vehicle control apparatus including in combination with a vehicle track, vehiclecarried means cooperable inductively with a rail of the track, vehicle control means controlled by said vehicle-carried means to be effective when there is an interruption in said inductive cooperation, the track rails having portions of non-magnetic material at predetermined control locations of the track to interrupt said inductive relation, and a manually operable alert device -controlling the secondnamed means to prevent operation thereof, said non-magnetic rail portions being uncontrolled and always effective on the vehicle-carried means to operate the first named means unless the alert device is operated when passing said rail portions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

ALFRED L. RUTHVEN. 

